Betsy DeVos’ ’60 Minutes’ interview: Key moments

Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos prepares to testify during her confirmation hearing within the Senate Health, Education, Labor as well as Pensions Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sat down for an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” of which aired Sunday night — as well as This specific immediately set off a wave of criticism as well as bafflement online.

In many tense exchanges, DeVos appeared to stumble through responses to questions about her views on education, school funding as well as even her own popularity.

The performance drew a chorus of derision through critics on social media.

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DeVos is actually an advocate for school choice policies, which bolster alternatives to traditional public schools, such as charter, magnet as well as parochial schools.

Her nomination as the secretary of education was one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial picks, despite her limited media exposure. within the “60 Minutes” segment, interviewer Lesley Stahl said of which DeVos was considered “one of the most hated members” of Trump’s Cabinet — a status she herself appeared to tacitly acknowledge within the interview, although she used the word “misunderstood” to describe herself.

Asked about the interview in a White House briefing on Monday, press secretary Sarah Sanders said the Trump administration is actually focused on “actual policy of which can help protect the safety as well as security of school kids across This specific country.” When asked whether the president saw DeVos’s interview, Sanders said of which she was “not sure” if Trump “saw the whole thing or not.”

Here are the most attention-grabbing excerpts through DeVos’ “60 Minutes” interview:

DeVos argued of which public funding for education should be going toward students as well as not in “school buildings, not in institutions, not in systems.”

She added:“In places where there have been, where there is actually, a lot of [school] choice of which’s been introduced — Florida, for example — the studies show of which when there’s a large number of students of which opt to go to a different school or different schools, the traditional public schools actually, the results get better, as well.”

however DeVos couldn’t say whether such results have been borne out in Michigan, her home state as well as one in which DeVos invested millions of dollars toward school choice initiatives. “I don’t know. Overall, I, I can’t say overall of which they have all gotten better.”

She continued: “I hesitate to talk about all schools in general because schools are made up of individual students attending them … Michigan schools need to do better. There is actually no doubt about This specific.”

Asked if she had seen the worst-performing schools in her state, DeVos said no. “I have not, I have not, I have not intentionally visited schools of which are underperforming … Maybe I should, yes.”

Asked why she has become “the most hated Cabinet Secretary,” DeVos said she wasn’t sure — however seemed to agree with the premise. “I’m not so sure exactly how of which happened. however I think there are a lot of genuinely powerful forces allied against change. … I’m more misunderstood than anything.”

DeVos, who rescinded Obama-era guidance on so-called Title IX protections against sexual assault on college campuses, said she doesn’t know if the number of false rape accusations are as high as the number of actual rapes.“I don’t know. however I’m committed to a process of which’s fair for everyone involved.”

On Monday morning, DeVos followed up her “60 Minutes” interview with an appearance on NBC’s “Today,” where she was asked to respond to the latest instance of Trump’s use of coarse language at a public speaking engagement.

“I would likely probably use different language myself, as well as I think we all have an opportunity as well as a responsibility to be examples to our kids … of which would likely include the president as well,” she said.